I LOVE you guys! Your Comments MAKE MY DAY!

I know I say it all of the time but I really do LOVE to see comments from readers. I LOVE when readers are engaged in the content on the posts. I work pretty hard to make sure that i am cranking out interesting information for you to read and when you have questions, I always try to reply to your comments and get you the answers that you need. Why? Because I love you guys, for real, like a lot. 

So much so that comments inspire impromptu giveaways, like this Caboodles post here They also inspire video tutorials, like the sock bun post here. So thank you for engaging with me, I do appreciate it. 

This is super awesome example.... I got an email from a reader saying that she had tried to leave (the worlds longest comment) but it didn't post. She wanted to make sure that I got it so she emailed it over. I thought it was SO awesome, that I asked if I could post it to share with you. She said sure and even sent me this picture. THANKS!

So this is kind of a guest post, I guess....and kind of an on the fly interview...basically something new. To keep it simple, the text in blue was sent to me by the awesome reader I mentioned. I have some questions, that I will ask (my words in black). I didn't plan this out completely so I will get the answers to my questions as a comment back from her or maybe she will email me and then I will update, not sure yet. But if you have questions, leave a comment and we will get those answered too!

After 10 years of keeping my skin in check with a pretty thorough routine including .04% retina mixed in with my moisturizer, sunscreen, my day and night face washing routine (Clarsonic) and enzyme facials every 6 weeks, my skin was starting to dull and my acne was starting to resurface. This mixed with all the  "wow you have such nice skin" comments fading away, I knew I need to revisit my dermatologist for a new plan. Below are the changes I made that within 2 weeks had my skin glowing again.

1. My doctor upped my Retina prescription to 1%, but since I'm too old now to have my insurance cover my Retina ($300 a tube!), my pharmasist offered to recreate the product leaving out parabens in a process called "compounding". Total new cost, $60! I use this mixed with my moisturizer about 5 nights a week. 

Emily Question: Did you need a prescription for the pharmacist to create this for you? The $60 was out of pocket expense with no application to insurance, so anyone can get that even if they don't have insurance? Is this something that only your pharmacy does or do you happen to know if  this is common in most pharmacies, like CVS?

Nicole's Answer: The Pharmacist contacted the doctor to write a new prescription allowing it to be a compound. Once the doctor faxed that over we were golden though this whole idea of compounding seemed new to the doctors office. I've only seen it at local pharmacies, but that's not to say chain pharmacies don't provide the service, I guess you'd have to ask. Here is a wiki page on it - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compounding

I did provide my insurance and my out of pocket was $60, not sure what the insurance covered if anything. 

2. Make-up removal!! My dermatoligist is also a partner in a fantistic local make-up company called W3LL People. They have a line of natural, partially organic mineral make-up products that are light and fantastic. They also carry some pretty top end skincare products so I gave them a visit. This is where I fell in love with the Arcona line, specifally the Cranberry Toner ($35) which is PERFECT for night time make-up remove. Bonus!! it comes in either a spray or moist pads. I opted for the spray and instead of using a cotton ball I hit up the drug store and purchased a box of Johnson&Johnson Mirasorb Gauze pads. The are like 1000% better then cotton, they are sterile and provide just a tad bit of exfoliation because of the texture which is super helpful for getting make-up and sweat off your skin. The lady working said absolutely no need for a face scrub if using the gauze and Clarsonic and she was right; like Emily said it would have been too much exfoliating. 

Emily Question: Do you use the gauze to cleanse your skin, instead of a washcloth? Or are you using this to apply your toner after cleansing? Do you still use cotton balls/pads to remove eye makeup or are you using gauze. I worry the gauze would be too abrasive for the eye area? What do you think? Is this a daily process or weekly? I can't wait to try it myself!

Nicole's Answer: I use the gauze with the toner to remove my make-up before washing. The gauze isn't abrasive at all for me, maybe even helpful with mascara. I do this every night before cleansing with my Clarsonic. I think the thing to remember about the Clarsonic is to lightly use it on your skin, you don't have to apply pressure. 


This is so exciting! I am going to get some gauze now!

3. New face wash!!! Also from Arcona. I was skeptical to spend $40 on a large bar of soap, but the Toner Tea Bar is a perfect fit for Clarsonic users. I've never used a wash that lathered and cleaned as well.

To sum it up, I heart my Retina and Arcona products. Still seeing my esthetician for an enzyme facial avery 6 weeks. I would say my skin looks as good as it ever has. 

Thanks so much! Let me know when you can, the answer to my 2 questions above. Also, we would love to see questions or comments from others. Lets make this a discussion, shall we? If you come by often and don't want to leave a comment, does this inspire you to share?

Make sure you go here to enter the giveaway for the Smashbox palette. There is also a giveaway here for the Liorac French horn comb. Enter both! Stay tuned for the Julep giveaway next month! Remember the Beauty Blog Coalition is giving away $400! You can enter here.

Who is Emily Hudspeth? Professional Stylist, Airbrush Makeup Artist, and Beauty Blogger....just to start. I am an all around girl's girl who is totally addicted to all things beauty related. It is my mission to find the best of the best and share it with you. You can hire me for events, commercial production, photo shoots and image consulting.

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